Apparatus for taking pictures



H. P. BROWN APEMLATUS POR TAKING PICTURES 3 Sheets-8heat 1 Filed sept. "7, 1937 Nov. 11, 1941. Y H. P. BRWN I APPARATUS FOR TAKING PICTURES Filed sept. fr, 1931 I.

. l .f .......riri1 I Fetented Nov. il, 1941 l APPARATUS von 'mareo Pic'rvaes'.

Hmm rume: amm. chime, rn. application september 7. 19:1. serai No. 182.641

(ci. :s1-29) 1 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for taking pictures and has for its obiect to provide a new process. and apparatus o! this description.

The invention hasas a vfurther object the Process and apparatus of taking instantaneous i flash light pictures by synclironizlng` the movement o! the shutter oi the camera with the operation .oi the flash light..

The invention has as a further object to pro-i vide etllcient means for supporting a 'camera and" pointing it at the object to be photographed.

-The invention has as a further obiect to provide eillcient means for' supporting a camera and pointing it at the object to be photographed and supporting a flash light allin a sell-contained The invention has for a further object to provide a support i'or a camera and a flash light with means associated therewith to simultaneously actuate the hash iight and the shutter oi the camera.

The invention has as a further object to provide such a device wherein a single .moving part A in position to be moved by the nger actuates i theash light and the shutter of the camera.

The invention. has as a further obiect to pro vide a device o! this descriptionwhich can be operated by one handto take nesh light pictures.

The invention has a further object to make available in the same unit two kinds of curswitches ii, the sockets being connected to sin` rent, one to operate a toil or wire mesh ash The invention has further objects which are more particularly pointed out in the following description.

Referring now to the drawings.'

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation ot one form of the device for carrying the invention into practice;

F152 is -a side elevation o! the device shown .in Fis- 1:

Fig. 3 is anfenlarged interior view in part section of the camera supporting device separate from the camera and lash light:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 o! Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 isa sectional viewA taken on the line S- of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken on.

the line 5--5 o! Fg;

Fig'. 7 isfa detail v'lewvo the Hash light Silpporting member. with parts in section. on tb line l--i of Fig. S; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuits.-

lamp and the Aother a filament photoiiood lamp.

tricai mechanism and conductors for controlling .y

mi@ numerosrerei' to nre parte throughout the several figures.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein I have shown one form of the device embodying the in vention, there is illustrated a camera ol any suitable construction and make. Connected with this camera is a supporting device 2 formed in the shape o! a pistol having the handle 3 adapted to be -gripped with one hand. The support 2 may be attached to the camera. in any desired mannen I prefer to have it removably attached to the camera in any desired manner. In the construction shown there is attached to the camera an attaching member l having a dovetailed groove therein.` The supporting device 2 is pro-v vided with a dovetaii projection# which lits into the dovetailed groove. In assembling the parts.,

the end of the projection 5 is inserted in the dovetailed grooveand moved therealong until the camera is properly positioned. The thumb screw 6 is then tightened to hold the partsin position.

One or more dash lights 7, preferably provided with reliectors Lax-e supported" upon the supv port 2 in any suitable manner. its shown, the lights are provided with sockets S having porting members H. i2 which are attached to the supporting device 2 in any desired manner. As shown. these supports are hollow to containthe conductors andwhen t'wo flash lights .are used are preferably connected together to form a U-shaped support which is attached. to the supporting device 2 by the releasabieclamps i3, I4 provided with the pivots i5. The lower ends j o! these clamps are engaged and held in position by the spring catch i5 (see Figure 2) 'when the parts are in position. 'Ihesupporting members' ii and i2 are preferably separate and'are connected together in any desired manner as by the connecting piece il so that either one o r-both ofthelightsinaybe'osed.`

The reectors are. provided with taperedmembers i! which nt into tapered sockets il.

The supporting device Zvis preferably made. in

two halves or pieces which are connected together by the fastening devices or screws 2l These pieces are hallowed out to receive the elecand lighting the lights. l

A movable controlling member 2i inthe form oi' a trigger is pivotadly mounted on the support 2 as at 22. 'Ine movement. oi this member 2i simultaneously actuates the shutter of the camera and closes the circuit through the flash lish'ts. -In the construction shown the trigger 2i has n shutter control mem-ber 21 which is encased by the end 24 of the shutter actuating.

member. As herein shown. the end 2l is rounded and is connected to the cable plunger 25 which slides in a sheath 23 which is acljustably4 mounted in the ilxed member 2l carried by the iront end or munie oi' the supporting device 2. This provides. lor adjusting the shutter actuatlng' device to adapt the mechanism to different lcamerale. -As the trigger is moved back by the finger. the part 23 moves forward movin-g the end zd and the plunger 25 throughits sheath. This movement of the plunger causes the shutter o! the camera to be actuated in the usual manner so as to open it.

At the same time the circuit controlling member 2B on the trigger engages the switch mem'- ber 29 of the micro-switch'iii so as to close the circuit that actuates the flash light. These parts are adjusted so that` the shutter o! the camera and the dash light are actuated simultaneously.

'The circuit controlling member 28 is arranged so as to be adjustable in order to properly adiusi;- the parts to insure the simultaneous actuation of the 'flash light andthe shutter. In the par- .ticular structure shown this is accomplished by havingV the circultvcontrolliug member ad` justably connected with the trigger as by a screw-threaded` connection. .When the proper adjustment is made the switch actuating member isI held in its adjustable position by the-lock nut3 When the trigger is released the parts are automatically returned to their initial positionby any desirable means. as for example the spring conductor El.

ure 8. This circuit shows the circuits bothwhcn the battery 1:. used without the outside current and when the outside current is used without the battery. When the battery is used the switch member 4to or the switch il is in the position shown in full `line in Figure 8 so tu to connect When the trigger M actuated to mo've the circuit :ontroiling member ih e contacts 41| and H.

2.8 so that it moves the switch member 29, this switch member mov the contacting member 30o s as lo connect contacts 45 and 4|.

Thecircuit from the battery is then traced as follows. From the battery 3l by conductor 41 to conductor 43 -whcre it divides, one portion going s by conductor I9 to one ofthe lightsl, thence by conductor 50 to conductor Bl. The other por` tion oi the current passes to thecther iight through conductor la and conductor 52 and then passes from the light by conductor 63 back to The current from conductor Si passes through conductor I to contact 4S. thence through contacting member o to Contact 4i and thence by conductor 55 to contact 4l. thence through the switch member lia to contact and thence by conductor 5B back to the battery.

vThis causes the current .to pass through the two ilash lights and actuate them.- It will bescen that iioniy one ilash light is used the current will pass through such liash light and 'actuate it. f

32.' This releases the circuit controlling member 28 from the switch member 2S and breaks the circuit through the flash light. Any suitable cir cult arrangement may be utilized and the parts are all preferablyiocated in the supporting de vice-2.

The device is so arranged that the ash light or lights may be actuated from a battery or from an outside current. The significant point in making available either battery or house current is that the battery functions only with a magnesium foil or wire mesh flash or photouash I bulb. By making itposslble' to connect my deg vice with the commercial current I make it pos- .sible to use auiament bulb known as. a "pbot flood." This bulb maybe used over and over again as it bas a minimum life. o! uve' hours.

whereas the magnesium or wire mesh flash is good for only one exposure and is exhausted.`

When actuated from a battery I provide in the V.supporting device 2 a battery 33 which as shown is located inthe handle of the supporting device 2. The supporting device 2 is provided with a re movable member 3 4 which can be removed so that the battery can be inserted. This removable member is held in position by the clip or by any other suitable means. Within the supporting device are the spring contacts 35. 3l which engage the poles 33 and Sil oi the battery. I prefer to provide-an additional spring it which tends to keep tbe battery-pressed into contact with the contacts l andl. The battery is connected with the ash light through the single pole dou-y ble throw switch i and themicro-swtch Sii in any desirable manner. There is also provided a condenser 42 associated with the circuit. to protect contacts in micro-switch from freezing.

I 11ave shown diagrammntically one arrange ment o! tbeeiectrlc circuit and switches inm- -r 3 .-I 5. 'l 1 through the lamps and by conductors BI', 51 and" l conductor 5i to conductor 5I and through the switch lo and conductor 55 and thence by con--4 ciucinr 63 to contact 51 and switch member Md to contact 53 and thence by conductor 8i back to plug 59 and conductor il to tbesource o! current supty.

,It will thus same time the shutter of the camera. will. be opened to permit iight from the flash light to enter 'the camera to produce a photoraphic im- 'age .on the ulm. vIn the particular construction illustrated in the drawings. the lamps are arfranged so that they maybe easily removed or at tached to the camera and so that either the battery or outside current may be used. The lamps are also arranged so that they can be easily removed trom the `supporting device 2. For

Vthis purpose the supporting device is provided with the two members 65 and il. see Filz. 3.' The member 55 is provided with the contacts 67 and' 68 and themexnber il' is provided with the n tacts 69 and 'i9 which engage the contacts l and 53. The member i1 has also attached te 1g the members ii and i2 and the flash lights.

The dash lights are attached to the supporting device 2 by inserting the contacts i9 and 1i) into the openings in the member to bring the contacts 6'! and 53 into contact and the contacts G3 and 'iu into ContactA and the yparts are held in position by the pivoted members 3.1, i3 which in turn are heid in position by thespringlatch' i6. When it is desired to connect the dash lights with tbe outside scuro: or current supply andan..

be seen that by simply pulling the trigger-tbe flash iight may be lighted and at the 

